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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. last — finally
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — final
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — help
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. hand — in cards
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — to go on
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com